MSc Sustainable & Inclusive Development

MSc (Sustainable and Inclusive Development

Program Overview

Sustainable development is the most urgent challenge facing humanity. Its fundamental question is: How can the world economy continue to develop in a way that is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable? This course provides a broad overview of the interactions between the economy and our environment and humanity, from the constraints of finite resources, to the activities that drive climate change, to equality for all.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that were adopted in September 2015 put forth a global agenda to eradicate poverty, transform economies, promote greater equality, and protect the planet.

The focus of action and accountability will be at the national and sub-national levels, but an important motivation for the SDGs all along has been to tackle challenges that require international cooperation and solidarity.

These include the fight against extreme poverty, reducing inequalities, addressing environmental degradation, maintaining a stable climate, and other global public goods. Achieving the SDGs will therefore also require a robust follow-up and review process at the global and regional level.

Businesses will have to adapt their operating principles to support sustainable development and commit to driving innovation, particularly in low-carbon technology. Science and academia will have to provide timely evidence on progress, challenges and opportunities.

Civil society organizations (CSOs) should work to bring about a wider public understanding of sustainable development and to affect a shift in individual behaviors, whilst concurrently working to hold their governments to account.

Furthermore, a polycentric approach to the review process, which recognizes the roles of the private sector, private philanthropy, civil society and academia alongside governments, will create a network of actors collectively responsible for driving forward development.

The active engagement of all stakeholders will ensure that the national and State specific review processes build upon the inclusive, open and transparent nature in which the SDG negotiations have been undertaken. Academic Institutions have an important role in creating high quality human resources to engage in research and indicators development and monitoring, advise the governments, businesses, private and public sectors and civil society organizations. This is the reason that the World Peace University has taken the first step to establish teaching and research programs at the masters and doctoral levels.

Program Objectives

To understand basics of Sustainable Development Goals.

The role of people: from inequality, to poverty, to health and human rights

The role of the planet: planetary boundaries, the value of renewable energy, and sustainable consumption of our natural resources

How to help nations, businesses and economies flourish without leaving anyone behind.

How the graduate can contribute to creating a sustainable and inclusive villages and urban slums.

Scientists say it is not a question of whether but when the next major disease outbreak (e.g. flu or Ebola) is going to strike Asia.

Support the nation state, businesses and civil society to get engaged with SDGs and contribute to achieving sustainable and inclusive development.

To solve problems of environmental pollution and environmental degradation through before end of pipe (BEOP) interventions, over and above the use of conventional way of end-of-pipe (EOP) interventions.

To develop interrelationships of resource use, economics, politics and their impact on the environment

To develop environmental management tools that help to improve the quality of environment, to assess local vulnerabilities with respect to climate, natural disasters and to achieve sustainable developmental needs.

To deal with problems and debates of developing countries v/s developed countries.

To develop required skill set for analyzing the strategies to address ecological and environmental issues by taking into consideration the socio-gender perspective.

Program Outcome

One of the most critical outcomes of the program is that the graduates work for economic, social inclusiveness in the rural & slum communities and transform their condition.

Sustainable development studies is transcending disciplinary silos and is drawing on ideas, concepts and theories across the natural and social sciences. As a multidisciplinary program it integrates theory with hands-on experiential learning in environment, climate change, health, natural, social and management sciences.

The program helps in evolving a thorough understanding of Sustainable Developmental Goals and ways of making them happen. As a result of the course students will be able to realize that the mainstream idea of sustainable development doesn’t reach far enough and will help develop critical, imaginative, and innovative thinking about sustainable development.

Achieving sustainable development has been hampered by trade-offs in favour of economic growth over social well-being and ecological viability. The program will help us in understanding, what does inclusive development mean and to what extent is it taken into account in the framing of the SDGs? As it goes beyond the present inclusive development having three key dimensions (viz.social, ecological, and relational inclusiveness) with five principles each to 17 SDGs and their 196 targets.

The network of relationships developed with local, national & international governmental and non-governmental organizations, will help students expose themselves to a wide arena of challenges and find them eligible for jobs which are practice-oriented projects to be guided by academics and professionals expertise.

Career Prospects

With acceptance of SDG, there is increasing need of professionals who have multi-disciplinary knowledge in this areas to work as research scholar or as a consultant.

The Paris Agreement, has focused attention on measurement of INDC –this course will open up new vistas for students.

GoI, under its mandatory Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending has listed many of fields which has concurrence with the Goals mentioned in SDG. In near future the corporate will find need of professionals/consultants to man these activities.